The Paradox of Our Times, Translated to Chinese

Note: The following is an excerpt attributed to George Carlin (before we realized that it’s not in fact from Carlin, thanks John), followed by a Chinese translation that’s provided to help you learn new vocabulary and grammar. It’s also awesome in general because George Carlin is an incredible thinker. R.I.P.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get to angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too little and lie too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

George Carlin, 1937-2008
George Carlin, 1937-2008

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space. We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies, but have less communication. We are long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships. More leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition; two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.

Chinese Translation

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

What Do You Think?

Whether you’re a Carlin fan or this is all new to you, leave a message in comments and let us know what you think.

8 thoughts on “The Paradox of Our Times, Translated to Chinese”

Leave a Comment